What's the point of Jewellery?

Growing up my parents lived on a tight budget. They provided us with everything we needed and more, but there were few luxuries such as restaurants, holidays and Jewellery. As a teen I found that my pocket money didn’t cover most of what I wanted and thankfully, because I was born creative, I started to try to make what I couldn’t buy.

My first memory of making a beaded necklace was at the age of 4 or 5 at my grandmother's house. She gave me a box of brightly coloured plastic beads and a gold cotton string which she doubled through a needle and tied a bead onto the end. I still have those beads on that string.

From the beginning of time humans have felt the need to beautify themselves with colourful and sparkly materials. There are many ceremonies and traditions in nearly every culture which involve an exchange or endowment of jewellery. We imbue these items with sentimental and cultural significance far beyond their aesthetic value.

Nowadays with so much choice on the market and such a huge range of styles and prices there is hardly anyone who does not own an item of jewellery. We use jewellery as an accessory to change our appearance, much as we change our clothes. It can be used as a status symbol. There are those of us who derive energy from particular gemstones. There are those who will wear a piece for sentimental reasons, and when they buy something new are looking for something classic that can be cherished by loved ones when they have passed.

The materials used for making jewellery are typically rare and hardwearing. They are metals such as gold alloys or sterling silver which although relatively soft (compared to steel for example) they are less reactive chemically which means that they don’t disintegrate with time. Many examples of jewellery hundreds of years old have been found in tombs around the world, most of them still in near perfect condition. Gemstones are chosen and graded according to hardness and clarity, with the diamond, the hardest material known to man.

The reason I make jewellery is because I want to leave the world a happier, more beautiful place when I leave it. I believe that this is my purpose in life and the reason that I was given the talents I possess. The jewellery I make, makes people happy, has significance for them. It is personalised. I pay attention to every detail, back and front, inside and out to make sure that any piece made by me is comfortable and suitable for everyday wear. I source my materials ethically, working with suppliers who hold the same values as me. I treat my customers as I treat my friends, with compassion and empathy and I truly care that they love the jewellery that they have bought from me.

What is your favourite piece of jewellery and what does it mean to you?